Lid fastener for shipping containers



Oct. 27, 1936. B. B. wlLsoN LID FASTENER FOR SHIPPING CONTAINERS Filed April l5, 1955 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE Application April 15,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to lids or closures for containers, and to improved means for fastening such lids or closures to its associate container. The essential object of the invention resides in an 45v improved lid and means for readily and detachably securing such lid toY a closure. While not limited to any particular type of container the present invention is eminently suited for egg crates, butter and cheese boxes, onion crates, and similar types of containers which are repeatedly shipped back and forth between manufacturer or producer and consumer. This for the reason that the cover may be easily attached or detached, the manner of its attachment being such that it does not harm the shipping con-- tainer for the reason that nails, screws, staples and the like are not employed for securing the cover to the container. And for the added reason that the construction of the cover is such that it adequately protects the container and its contents, and for the further reason that the cover may be utilized on similar containers, thus making container and covers interchangeable.

An object of the invention is to make the covers of light though strong materials. 'I'hese covers in addition to their inherent strength are further strengthened by improved strengthening and bracing members which prolong the lives of such covers and provide an added protective means 30 for the containers or the products in such containers to which they are applied. v

An object of the invention resides in improv ments in. means for fastening the covers to the containers. In the present instance a fastening member is employed which securely fastens such covers, their operation requiring little more than the placing of ther covers on such containers. Furthermore the fastening means permit a ready removal of the covers from the containers, their removal being instantaneous as is their placement. Added to this is the fact that no material change, and in many instance none at all, is required in containers to adapt them to the present invention.

A further object of the invention resides in the manner for attaching the fastening means to the covers. These fastening members are either permanently secured to the covers or detachably secured thereto. In both instances should the cover become worn they may be detached and placed upon new covers, or should they become they may be replaced by new fastening means.

These and incidental objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the descrip- 1935, Serial No. 16,391

tion thereoffollowing, aided by the several views in the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan View of the improved cover and attaching means. This` View also discloses the bracing and strengthening means employed on the cover.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of a box or crate restingV upon one side. The invention is employed thereon.

Figure 3` is a side elevation of a box and shows the application of the invention thereto.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional View, enlarged. 'This View' is indicated by they section lines 4.-4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of one end of aubox. This view also shows in side elevation and partial section fastening meansA employed in the present invention, also the means for detachably securing such fastening means tol the cover of a box.

Figure 6 is. a View similar to' the preceding iigure. This view showsa modification in the means for securing the fastening means tothe box cover. Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan vieW of a box cover'. This! is a plan of the construction shown in Figure-5. This View shows the construction on theV underside of the. cover in outline.

.Y Figure 8 is an end sectional detail of the construction shown in Figure 6 and is taken on the section line 8 8, looking in the direction the arrows point.

Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary side sections and end views of box and cover and show a still furtheri modification of the invention. In the. drawing Il indicates a con-tainer, box or crate: such. asV an egg crate. Thisl crate is furnished at each end with cross members 2 and 3 respectively at the top andY bottom thereof. `In crates of this type it isusual to employ two or more thin boards as covers. These are' usually secured in place by nails driven into the cross members Z. Tn. the removal of the cover boards, the nails have to be pulled, often destroying the end bracesas Well asA the ends ofthe cover' boards, requiring both repairs to the end members and new cover boards if the crate is` tol be put into further use. The' aim of the present invention is toavoid this' destructive practice. This is accomplished by providing improvements in the covers as welll as inthe fastening means for securing such covers to-l the crates.

' I'n carrying out this invention is proposed to employ what may be termed one-piece covers, that is` tolsay',` instead of employing two or more boards, to employ one board, or one member of'sufficient size to cover the opening to the crate. In view of added strength, and relative freedom from splintering and breaking, what is known as plywood or veneer is preferably employed. Such a cover is indicated by the numeral 4, extends from end to end of the crate, including members 2 therein, and from side to side. In conjunction with the cover there is employed certain bracing, strengthening and protecting members 5. These are preferably arcuate in cross section as shown in Figure 4, and are provided with a central groove 6 in their convex face. These braces are preferably arranged as shown in Figure l, with one positioned transversely midway the ends of the top, and the remaining four directed diagonally from the corners toward the center of the top. These braces are secured in place by suitable fasteningmeans such as the` nails 1. They, the braces or straps 5, serve to strengthen the cover 4, protect it to a great extent fromrough usage occasioned by placingrarticles upon the cover, and Where it is desirable to stack boxes one upon another provide a smooth surface for sliding a box upon the cover 4.

In connection with the cover 4 there is employed for detachably fastening the covers to the boxes or crates, certain improvements in fasteners which form and constitute a part of the covers, so that the covers may be readily attached to any of a particular type of crate. It is the purpose of these fasteners to construct them in a manner that the tops or covers maybe placed upon and secured to the container in an instant without the need of tools and as speedily removed from the containers. It is also the purpose to construct them :so that when the covers are placed upon the containers they will not come off of their own accord.

These fasteners are generally indicated in the drawing by the numeral 8, and consist of horizontal portion A9 generally .restingupon the cover 4, a ldown turned portion I0, a reversely bent portion II at an upward inclination, and a down turned end portion I2 which may havea slight inclination when it is understoodthat 'this portion serves as a cam member. The bending of the portions II and I2 provide at the angle of their union a nose, clasp, catch or ear I3 'which rides upon the underside of the cross member 2 when the cover is in place. The ear I3 grips the under side ofthe cross member and secures and holds the cover 4 in place'aswill be readily understood upon examination of Figures 5.,'7, and 9.

The members are made of vmaterial havingr a suitable amount of springiness to function as will presently appear, forv which purpose flat metal strips are eminently suitable.

Itis preferable toV have the members 8 at tached to the cover 4 in a manner that they may be readily removed or exchanged. The reason for this is that they may become bent or broken then it is desirable to Vreplace them, or the covers 4 'may become damaged and 'it may be found advisable to preserve'lthe catch members by removing them from the cover. For this purpose three preferred means for attaching the catches are shown'in the drawing. That shown inFigures 5 and 7 consists in providing an offset in the portion 9. An aperture I5 is provided in the-.top in which the end portion I6 is seated with the offset inthe aperture, the portion 9 upon the upper face of the cover andthe portion I6 upon the lower faceof the cover. In connection therewith there'is employed a button I1 pivotally mounted to the pin or rivet I8.

` cover by fastening means 23.

As will be readily understood upon examining Figure 5, one end of the button presses upon the under side of the portion I6 and secures it in place. In order to hold the button in place upon portion I8, the latter is provided with a blister I9 which is received in the recess 20 of the button. Turning the -button to the point where it and the portion are disengaged releases the catch 8 which may be removed from the cover 4.

In Figures 6 and 8 is shown another means for attaching the fastening member to the cover. In this construction the portion 9 is provided with an aperture 2| proximate its end. In conjunc-y tion with portion 9 there is provided a channel or socket member 22 held in place upon the The portion 9 enters the socket member 22. Member 22 has an aperture 24 coinciding with the aperture 2l. A spring member 25 is secured to the cover by the fastening means 26 passing through itat one end, its other end bears upon the socket.` member 22 and is provided with a pressed out stud on the undersidewhich enters the apertures 2| and 24 securing the member 8 upon the cover. To remove member 8 all that is necessary to be done is to raise the free end of the spring .25 ,until the stud has been removed from the aperture 2| after which the member 8 may be withdrawn.

A still further embodiment of the means for fastening member B to the cover is shown in Figures 9 and 10. In this embodiment the portion 9 has a backwardlycurved end to provide a hook-like portion 28 which is hookedinto the staple 29 secured in the body of the cover 4. By swinging the member 8 about it maybe unhooked from the staple and removed.

In order to prevent the. cover 4 slipping side- Ways from the top vof crate I, the undersideof the cover at its ends is provided with elongated metallic strips 30 secured thereto by any'suitable means. Strips 30 have a numberof pressed out teeth 3l made by breaking or pressing out the material of which it is composed. These teeth bite into the juxtapositioned surface of the box upon which the strips rest preventing lateral Vmovement of the cover. As an added precaution strips 38 may be provided with downturned ends 32 which extend over the edges of the container and ensure against lateral displacementxof the cover.

In applying the invention to practice, it. is anticipated that the spring of the members 8 will vallow them to be sprung sufficiently sothat the portions I2 and I3 will clear the end, edge of the box and the members 2 when the cover is being .placed upon or removed from the box, it being understood that members 8 are manually sprung for this purpose. In this connection the portion `I2 is employed as a cam traveling over the edge of the box end and brace 2. When the member 8 has its portion I3 at the lower edge of member 2 the spring of member presses .the portion toward the. box end to a position to securelyhold` sired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a lid and its fastener for containers, a body suitable for closing the opening to a container, fastening means for fastening the body to the container, said fastening means being positioned at the end of the body and each embodying a horizontal portion, a down turned portion at the end of the container, and an angularly bent portion terminating the downturned portion adapted to engage the under surface of a cross member at the end of the container, the horizontal portion having an offset, the body having an aperture within which the offset portion is positioned with a portion of the horlzontal portion on the upper face of the body and a portion on the lower face of the body, and means for removably engaging the portion on the lower face of the body and holding it substantially against movement.

2. In a lid and its fastener for containers, a body suitable for closing the opening to a container, fastening means for fastening the body to the container, said fastening means being positioned at the end of the body and each embodying a horizontal portion, a down turned portion extending over the end of the container, and a portion terminating the down turned portion adapted to engage the underside of a cross member at the end of the container, the horizontal portion having an offset, the body having an aperture Within which the offset resides with a section of the horizontal portion above and a section below the body, and a button pivotally mounted to the underside of the body engageable with the section on the underside of the body for the purpose of holding the fastening means to the body.

3. In a lid and its fastener for containers, a closure body and means for fastening the. closure to the container embodying a member having a downturned portion constituting a catch for engaging a cross member provided therefor on the walls of the container, a closure engaging portion for securing the member to the closure including a socket arranged in conjunction with the closure within which seats a section of the second portion and means for releasably securing such section in the socket.

4. A lid fastener for containers, a lid, a fastening device for fastening the lid to the container, said fastening device having a portion arranged with a section upon the upper surface of the lid, a section projecting through the lid and a section upon the underside of the lid; and a disengageable fastening element securing the last section upon the underside of the lid.

5. In lids and containers, means for preventing lateral movement of the lids relative to the containers comprising elongated metal strips secured at each end to the underside of the lid and each having punched out portions providing teeth which bite into juxtapositioned surfaces of the container.

6. In lids and containers, means for preventing lateral movement of the lids relative to the containers comp-rising elongated metal strips secured at each end to the underside of the lid and each having teeth which bite into juxtapositioned surfaces of the container.

BARKLEY B. WILSON. 

